1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a case or luggage that may be wheeled in any one of the four directions parallel to the front, rear, and two side walls of the case or luggage and, in particular, to handles attached to such luggage to effect such wheeling.
2. Description of the Related Art
A case or luggage of a generally parallelepiped shape has six walls, namely, a top wall, bottom wall, front wall, rear wall, and two side walls and may have wheels or other rolling members placed on the bottom wall of the luggage to permit wheeling the luggage in any one or more of four directions parallel to the front, rear, and two side walls. Typically, to wheel the luggage in any two collinear directions parallel to either the front and rear walls or the two side walls a handle, which preferably is mounted in the interior of the case and extends out to its full length, is used. The handle is normally mounted so that it is substantially parallel to one of the walls of the case. However, such an arrangement produces a handle the top part of which is relatively high and difficult for users to grasp even when the case is in a tipped position in which it is typically pulled or pushed by the user.
In order to relieve the user's discomfort, a handle inclined at an angle to the wall of the case on which the handle is mounted will result in a handle whose top grasping surface is less elevated from a supporting surface for the case than a conventional parallel handle of equivalent length. The inclined handle will also allow the user to push or pull the case at a range of angles to the surface with increased rotational stability over that possible with a conventional parallel handle.
The most closely related art of which the applicant is aware is Waddell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,521. That patent generally discloses a case with an inclined handle, but requires that the case be trapezoidal or be supported by wheels giving it a tilt in the upright position so that in either event the case is not perpendicular to the supporting surface when it is upright. Such a configuration of the case or its supports will increase the difficulty of stowing it in baggage compartments in airplanes, buses, automobiles, or other means of transport and will increase the effective space occupied by the case in such compartments. The present invention retains the conventional rectangular cross-section of luggage and, thus, is not subject to this disadvantage of Waddell et al.